After Manchester City managed to win the Community Shield by defeating Manchester United on penalties, manager Pep Guardiola showed his insight into the game as well as recognizing and encouraging the members of his team in his post-match interview.
Guardiola began by expressing his enjoyment of the intense showdown with Manchester United and emphasized the importance of starting the new season as champions. He mentioned United's efficiency and elusive rhythm in attacking and defending transitions, which was a high endorsement of the strength of their opponents, and also showed the magnitude of the challenge City faced in the match. However, it was this challenge that galvanized City's fighting spirit, and in the end they not only withstood the pressure, but also showed great mental strength and team spirit in the penalty shootout to win the title.
For the key players in the penalty shootout, Guardiola specifically mentioned Akanji and Ederson. Despite Akanji's experience of missing penalties in the Europa League, Guardiola still trusts his ability and believes that his hits in the penalty shootout are one of the keys to the team's victory. As for Ederson, Guardiola is even more highly regarded as one of the best penalty takers in the team, alongside Harland and De Bruyne, which is proof of Ederson's importance in the team and his outstanding performance in penalties.
In addition, Guardiola gave special praise to Oscar Bob for his fantastic performance in the game. He praised Bob's excellent play in tight spaces and the aggression and professionalism he displayed regardless of the size of the space. This comprehensive recognition not only recognizes Bob's individual ability, but also praises the team spirit and hustle shown by the entire team during the game.
When talking about the team's next goal, Guardiola kept a low-key and pragmatic attitude. Instead of setting the goal of winning the Premier League, he emphasized the short-term goal of "the next game is coming up, let's try to win it". This attitude of taking one game at a time is the key reason why City have been able to maintain their competitiveness and win at critical moments.
